Refrigerator door gasket



Nov. 29, 1932. H. A. ,GR EENWALD REFRIGERATOR DOOR GASKET Filed Oct. 16, 1951 Patented Nov. 29, 1932' PATENT OFFICE HAROLD GBEEN'WAID, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN maremron noon essxnr Application fled October 16, 1931. Serial No. 569,242.

This invention relates to door gaskets, of the door, such strip being of suflicient more especially'foruse with doors or closures of the type commonly used on refrigerators wherein an inner and an outer metal sheeting are provided, the margins of which sheeting a proach in the vicinity of the angle between t e edge of the door and the door flange and which marginsit is desirable'to conceal and protect against the inroads of moisture and so forth.

It is an object of this invention to provide a gasket which may be readily attached to such closures and efiect therequired cushioning and protection, whilst being capable of retention in place on the door by the existing door structure without necessitating additional securing means.

It is a further object of the inventionto' provide a door gasket of a flexible nature in which the natural resistance of the gasket to flection may be utilized to assist in maintaining the gasket in its desired relationship to the door structure; and further wherein the said gasket is provided with means for concealin and protecting the margins of the door eetin contiguous to the said gasket.

More partlcularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a door gasket of a form of a flexible strip adapted to flection in the direction of its width, whereby one edge of said gasket may extend beneath and be held by the inner sheeting of a door and the other edge extend over and lie a inst the margin of the outer sheeting of the door, the

5 said gasket being provided with means overlapping and concealing the margin of the said inner sheeting when the parts are assembled.

V Still further objects and advantages, sidiary or incidental to the aforesaid objects,

or resulting from the construction or operation of the invention as it may be carried into effect, will become apparent as the said invention is hereinafter'further disclosed.

In carrying the said invention into effect, I may provide a sheet of rubber or other similar flexible material having its lower edge thickened to form a head which may be vtrapped between the margin of the inner sheet' of the door and the underl edge mg m widththat it will overlie the margin of the outer sheeting of such door where such margin overlaps and is turned inwardly over the door flange, a suitable cushion being pro- 22.

,vided on the face of the said strip to engage the door Jamb when the door is closed, and a tongue extending from the lower part ofsuch cushions to overlap the margin of the said inner sheeting.

All of' which is more particularly de scribed and ascertained hereinafter, by way of example, having reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gasket ,2

embodying the features of the present invention; I

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section of a door having the said gasket applied thereto; and

Figure 3-is a fragmentary elevation of the said door. i

.Siinilar characters of reference indicate similar parts in the several figures of the drawing.

The gasket is shown as being formed of a strip 1 of rubber, rubber composition, or other similar suitable flexible material, having formed on the face thereof preferably somewhat below the upper edge 2, a cushion 3 which may be tubular, asshown. From. the 89 lower part of this cushion extends a tongue edge of the said stripl and which forms a. channel 5 in the said gasket. The lower edge of the said strip 1 is preferably enlarged, as at 6, to form a bead;

, Referring to .Fi re 2, a common type of door such as isused in refrigerators is shown, in which the frame 7 of the door has a flange \8 over which the marginal portion oftlie outer metal sheeting 9 is bent so that the margin proper 10 of the said sheeting engages the inner face of the said flange 2. The inside of the door is covered by a metal'sheeting or pan 11, the margin 12 of which approaches the said flange 2, as shown. It is loo channel 5 and being concealed by the tongue 4.

The described gasket is accordingly flexed in the direction of its width so that it is bent at a considerable angle, the resiliency of the gasket forcing the outer part of the strip to overlie and press against the margin 10 of the outer sheeting 9, thereby presenting the cush- 'ion 3 of the gasket in the required direction to meet the door amb (not shown) when the door is closed.

The provision of the bead 6 on the strip is a matter of choice, as it will. be readily understood thatwhere the thickness of the strip or its other characteristics ofl'er suflicient resistance to withdrawal from between the margin of the inner door pan and the frame of the door this bead may be omitted. It will also be understood that adhesives such as rubber solution, for instance, may be employed in conjunction with the gasket to further seal it in positon, if thought necessary or desirable, although, in general, the use of such'adhesives is not necessary.

It willbe seen that the improved gasket lends itself very readily to manufacture from such substances as rubber by the simple extruding process well known in the industry so that manufacturing operation such as folding, stitching, or similar more or. less expensive or additional operations are rendered unnecessary.

This invention may be developed within the scope of the following claims, without departing from the essentlal features of the said invention, that it is desired that the specification and drawing be read as being merely illustrative, and not in a limiting sense, except as necessitated bythe prior art.

What I claim is:

1. A gasket for refrigerator and similar doors, comprising a strip flexible in the direction of its width, a longitudinal enlargement forming a cushion intermediate of the width of the said strip, and a longitudinal tongue extending from said enlargement and parallel to one of the marginal portions of said strip.

2. A gasket for refrigerator and similar doors, comprising a strip flexible in the direction of its width, a longitudinal enlargement forming a cushion intermediate of. the width of the said strip, and a longitudinal tongue extending from said enlargement and in spaced relation to one of the marginal portions of said strip.

3. A gasket for refrigerator and similar doors, comprising a strip flexible in the di rection of its width a longitudinal enlargement forming a cushion intermediate of the width of the said strip, and a longitudinal tongue extending from said enlargement and parallel to one of the marginal portions of said strip, said tongue terminating short of the edge of said strip.

4. A gasket for refrigerator and similar doors, comprising a strip flexible in the direction of its width, said strip having a bead formed on one of its edges, a longitudinal enlargement forming a cushion intermediate the width of the said strip, and a longitudinal tongue extending from said enlargement in the direction of said head and parallel to one of the marginal portions of said strip.

5. A gasket for refrigerator and similar doors, comprising a strip flexible in the direction of its width, said strip having a bead formed on one of its edges, a longitudinal enlargement forming a cushion intermediate the width of the said strip, and a longitudinal tongue extending from said enlargement in the direction of said bead and in spaced relation to one of the marginal portions of said strip.

6. A gasket for refrigerator and similar doors, comprising a strip flexible in the direction of its width, said strip having a bead formed on one of its edges, a longitudinal enlargement forming a cushion intermediate the width of the said strip, and alongitudinal tongue extending from said enlargement in the direction of said bead and parallel to one of the marginal portions of said strip, said tongue terminating short of said bead.

7 A gasket for refrigerator and similar doors, comprising a strip flexible in the direction of its width, said strip having a bead formed on one of its edges, a longitudinal enlargement forming a cushion lntermediate the width of the said strip, and a longitudinal tongue extending from said enlargement in the direction of said bead and in spaced relation to one of the marginal portions of said strip, said tongue terminating short of said bead.

8. A gasket for refrigerator and similar doors, comprising an extruded strip of rubber material having a longitudinal enlargement formed thereon intermediate its Width, and a longitudinal tongue integrally extending from said enlargement and overlapping one of the marginal portions of said strip.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

HAROLD A. GREENWALD. 

